Okay, you didn’t know I’ve been off the bike. One or two of you may have noticed I haven’t posted here or on any social media for a few weeks….well….except for those cat pictures. I’ve been fortunate enough for almost three year years not to catch any cold or flu bugs going around. The longest “healthy” streak in several decades for me. That ended on the Thursday or Friday before Easter. For the next two weeks I did nothing but sleep, blow my nose, cough, take cold medicine and try to be productive at my new job. I successfully suffered through it. I didn’t have to call off sick from my new job. Although I probably should have to keep from spreading my germs around.
Yesterday was the day for my first ride since catching the cold. A Saturday that started out with cloudless skies. It had clouded over by the time I got out in the late afternoon. The wind was blowing off the lake and the temp was in the low forties by the lake. So I rode toward the lake to start off. That would give me a tailwind coming home. The Canal Park area, which is by the Lake Superior water front is also a big tourist area. I didn’t expect to see many people around on a cold April weekend. But it was as busy as a summer day. Maybe it was Spring Break people or some event was going on, not sure. But there were so many people out walking on the lake front I had a hard time taking the picture above with all the people walking by.
Even though I have now lived in Duluth for 15 1/2 years I still not used to seeing ocean going freighters here in the middle of the country. The above ship is the Reestborg. A Dutch flagged ship. It’s anchored off shore waiting to enter the harbor and take on a load of wheat before it heads back to the Atlantic Ocean via the Great Lakes and the St Lawrence Seaway. Maybe most people don’t realize there are ocean going ships that reach ports deep into the Midwest? Duluth happens to be the furthest inland port for ocean ships. Although the majority of the large freighters only navigate the Great Lakes.
Sunday gave me another opportunity to ride. Getting out yesterday and riding seemed to flush the remaining cold out of my system. Cleaned out the lungs and sinuses. I feel like the cold is gone. Riding today felt colder then yesterday despite the air temperature being almost exactly the same. The difference was the wind speed. Today the gusts off the cold lake were much higher. Didn’t matter. I was just happy to be out riding a bike and feeling healthy again.
Cycle on.
four season cycling 